Safety medical container top



March 14, 196

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EDWARD F. GRAY ATTORNEY INVENTOR United States Patent O SAFETY MEDICAL CONTAINER TOP Edward F. Gray, 3939 White Bear Ave., White Bear Lake 10, Minn., assignor of one-half to Alton V. Oberholtzer, White Bear Lake, Minn. 4

Filed Dec. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 704,496

8 Claims. (Cl. 215-9) This invention relates to an improvement in aspirin bottle and medical container caps to prevent their removal from the aspirin bottle or medical container by small children. More particularly the improvement concerns the provision of aspirin and harmful medicine bottles and containers with a removable top which requires at least two simultaneous and cooperative motions of the fingers to take the cap from the bottle or container.

It is a physical and psychological rarity when a child of five years of age of less can coordinate their fingers to accomplish two simultaneous operations of a character which accomplishes a single objective. This is particularly true with respect to screw caps as usually found on aspirin and other containers for medicines which are dangerous to children. Yet there is no present safety device on such bottles and containers despite the fact that more children die of aspirin poisoning than from polio. Thus, although the need is serious, there appears to have been no answer provided which has reduced or eliminated this problem.

Accordingly, it is an object of this improvement to provide aspirin and medical containers with a removable cap having a dual frictional attachment which requires a combination of concentrated physical efforts to remove.

Another object of this improvement is to provide aspirin and medical containers with closure caps having a plurality of retaining elements requiring a plurality of simultaneous finger movements of different operations ordinarily beyond the physical and mental scope of children under five years of age.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a cross sectional view of an aspirin or medical container top shown in part with a threaded screw cap modified with an internal frictional retainer and Fig. 2 is a modification of Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 1, there is illustrated the upper portion of an aspirin bottle or medicine container 10 having a rounded neck 11 provided with external spiral thread 12. The neck 11 affords an aperture for the container 10 having an inner wall surface 13 ending at the top of the neck portion 11. The container 10 is formed of glass, metal or plastic of conventional and known character.

In order to close the container there is provided a screw,

cap 14, of light flexible metal or flexible plastic, having an integral spiral thread side 15 and a flexible 'top 16. t The threaded side 15 is adapted to screw the cap 14 onto the thread 12 in a conventional manner in order to secure the top 16 over the aperture provided through the con tainer neck 11. This is the usual structure provided for screw thread caps and there is required only the one mechanical motion of turning the cap to remove it from the neck 11, or screw the cap 14 down on neck 11. It is the failure of the threads to adequately and tightly hold "ice gain access to the container contents. This is due to failtire to tighten the top or, if tightened, the ease by which it may be jarred loose from the threads and then unscrewed. An aspirin bottle cap, for example, is usually fasened by about a turn or a turn and one half. This does not leave much thread friction and even with the provision of more threads, the bottle caps are not usually left in a tightened down relationship over the neck aperture.

To provide a safety feature for this condition there is inserted and secured to the interior of cap 14 a flexible elastic cup shaped frame 19 having a side Wall portion 20 and integral connecting base or bottom wall 21. The side wall 20 is provided with an integral peripheral flanged edge'22. The flexible frame 19, forming side wall 20, base 21 and flange 22, is preferably a molded stretchable rubber of the character found on substitute bottle stoppers. Otherwise the frame 19 may be a molded flexible plastic or stretchable resinous material of isobutylene and the like. The external diameter of the wall 20 slightly exceeds the internal diameter of neck 11, with the rubber frame 19 in relaxed or unstretched condition. This relaxed condition of the frame 19 causes the side Wall 20 to normally bear against the inner wall surface of neck 11 and tightly bind the cap to the container.

Before securing the frame 19 within cap 14, there is inserted within the frame a push rod 24' having a base end 23, of slightly less diameter than base 21, adapted to normally rest against the inner surface of bottom wall 21 and a top end 24 adapted to bear against the inner surface of the flexible top 16. This rod 24' with its end members 23 and 24 may be loosely inserted or otherwise the rod 24' can be attached to the top 16 by a suitable resinous adhesive or solder. Less preferably, for a stiff metal top, the rod 24' may extend through the top 16 and be secured to, or wedged into a top button 26 for relative permanent mounting thereto. Otherwise, if desired, the button 26 may be dispensed with and pressure on the flexible top 16 against rod end 24 forces end 23 to bear down against base 21.

This pressure on base 21 causes the side 20 to stretch and pull awayfrom, or reduce the holding friction of wall 20 with respect to the inner wall of neck 11.

Upon placement of the 'rod 4' with its end 23 hearing against the inner surface of wall 21, the flange 22 is positioned about the inner periphery of top 16 and secured in this position by a ring washer 28. The Washer 28 is pressed against flange 22 and wedged beneath the shoulder 30. The shoulder 30 is formed by the inner end of threaded side 15 of cap 14. By reason of the spiral thread 15 the washer 28 may be turned down to bear against the flange 22. Otherwise a washer of a fibrous type having a slight amount of flexibility, or spring, can be forced under the shoulder 30 to bear against flange 22. The starting of thread 12 on the container and the relative ending of the screw thread 15 on cap 14 being respectively spiraled does not usually prevent a fairly tight wedging action by the washer against the flange 22. Further, the shoulder 38 may be representative of .a

slight crimp which can be made in the cap to lock the washer 28 in place.

the flexible top 16, or the button 26 if used, to" cause rod 24' to depress end 23. This causes end 23 to bear the cap.14 on the neck which permits small fingers to engagement with the interior wall 13 of neck 11. When pressure is applied to depress the rod24' the cap 14 can In either and any case there lie-turned onto orfrom the neck 11. When no pressure is applied, the wall 20 of frame 19 normally relaxes to bear in tight frictional relationship against the internal Wall 13 of neck 11. Thus to remove and replace "the cap there is required the coordinated combination of turning the cap 14 While simultaneously applying pressure to the base 21 of elastic frame 19. As indicated,- a childof about and under does not ordinarily have this coordination and therefore cannot open the aspirin bottle or medicine container to which the cap is applied.

In the modified structure shown in Pig. 2, there is provided a flexible plastic top 30 with a flexible side wall 31 having an inturned flange 32. As illustrated by the dotted line portion 34 the wall 31 is adapted to be flexed to remove the top 30 from the top rim-or extended l-ip 350i a container wall 36. The container wall 36 illustrates a container only in part. Usuallysuch medical containers and tops therefor are formed of polyethylene -or a similar plastic material, Obviously, to remove this top requires only a flexure of wall 31 to pull a portion of the flange 32 from its engagement under the container rim or extended lip 35.

To prevent such easy removal the top 36 is provided with a flexible rubber or plastic elastic frame 37. This frame 37 is similar to the frame 19, having a flexible side wall 38 and base 39. The open end of wall 38, opposite base 39, is provided with an outwardly extending flange 40 adapted to be heat sealed or otherwise secured by a suitable adhesive 41 to the under side of top 30.

Before the flexible frame 37 is secured to the under side of top 30, there is inserted between base 39 and the said underside a rod insert 43. The rod 43 is provided at each end with push plate elements 44 and 45 mounted thereon to bear against the inner surface of base 39 and the underside of top 30. If desired, either the plate 44 maybe secured to the base 39, or plate .5 to the top 30, in any suitable manner before the assembly of top 30 and frame 37. As will be apparent from theistr ucture provided there is now an additional holding or locking element which requires release of the friction between the frame side wall 38 and the interior wall of the container 36. Thus in combination with the flexing of wall 313. finger pressure must be applied to the flexible top 30 to push rod element 43 downwardly forcing the base 39 downwardly to pull the flexible resilient wall 38 from tight frictional engagement against the interior wall of container 36 either to remove or replace the closure cap. Each of the insert rods 24 and 43 and their correlated elements may be formed of metal or suitable molded hard plastic material. 1 p r is herein1described an operable safety structure and method which requires the simultaneous coordinated finger and hand movement in one direction at right angles to their movement in another direction in order to open ja'medicalzconta'iner, as described. It will be now also possible to apply safety closure caps as herein described to ammonia bottles, bottles of lye and such other containers-as may be. accessible to baby fingers and contain such ingredients as may be harmful or not to be opened by very small children. i

Having thus described my improvementin aspirin and medical container closure caps in accordance with the patent statutes by endeavoring to set forth the herein de-' 7 scribed embodiments thereof, I desire to have :it understoodthat changes may bemade within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spiritofmy improvement. w 1

I claim;

. -1. In combination, a medicine container having an aperture and a safety closure cap therefor requinng at least twosimultaneously applied cooperative physical finger movements at substantially right angles to each other for removal and replacement relative tolsaid con-. tainer aperture, said closure cap 'comprismg m combma locking element attached thereto,

tion a circular shell having a top portion and an integral depending side wall portion extending about the periphery of said top portion and encircling and engaging the container wall forming said aperture, holding means on said side wall for encircling and locking engagament about the exterior wall of said container, a flexible friction element normally tightly engaging against the interior of the container wall forming said aperture and a finger pressure operable rod unit for releasing said flexible friction means from its normally tight engagement against the interior of the container wall, whereby there is required a downward finger pressure on said rod unit simultaneously with a substantially right angular finger force to turn and release the said integral depending wall of said circular shell. 7

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said circular shell side wall portion is spirally threaded to said container and said flexible friction element is of cup-like shape having a flexible side wall, a base connecting the side wall, a flange extending from said sidewall, and anchor ing means for securing said flange to the underside of said top wall portion of said cap.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said cap side and said container are provided with a screw thread and said finger pressure rod unit comprises a rod element insorted in said flexible cup-like shaped friction element, an end element on said rod element engaging the said base, and an opposite end element operable by finger pressure simultaneously with the turning of said cap screw thread relative to said container screw thread for removal and replacement of said cap with respect to said aperture. 7

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said container is provided with a rim about said container aperture and said cap is provided with an integral depending flexible side having anintegral flange adapted to catch undersaid rim and said finger pressure element inserted in said flexible cup-like shaped friction element comprises a rod element inserted in said flexible cup-like shaped fric-' tion element, an end element on said rod element engaging the said base, and an opposite end element operable by finger pressure substantiallysimultaneously with the flexing of said flexible depending cap side for removal and replacement of said cap with respect to'said aperture.

' '5. In combination, a medicine container having anaperture and aunitary safety closure cap therefor'requiring for removal therefrom simultaneous .co-ordinated finger and hand movement applying pressure :in one direction and a'relative turning movementsimultaneously in a direction substantially at right angles to saidapplied pressure,said closure cap having an aperture closing top provided with an external integral depending wall con tainer engaging means for securing the .cap to said container, a supplemental releasable locking element mounted on an attached to 'thebase of said aperture ,closingtop and normally engaging the interior wall of saidjcontainer insupplemental locking relationship with said external container depending wall engaging means, and a pressure release simultaneously operable by finger pressure to unlock said supplemental locking element in simultaneous and cooperative relationship with disengaging said external container engaging means for simultaneously removing the said closure cap and said supplemental of saidi container. 7 l I V .6. .The structureof claim ,5 wherein said closure cap is provided with .a flexible top,said releasable locking ele-' and from the aperture ment in difierent directions for releasing and removing a safety closure cap from a locked relationship with the internal and external sides of a walled aperture, one finger force of direction being applied in a perpendicular direction to a pulling operation, and another f1nger force and hand movement applied in a twisting motion at substantially right angles to the said one finger force being applied in a said perpendicular direction, whereby a simultaneous release of the said cap from its said locked relationship with the external and internal sides of a Walled aperture is obtained for removal of said cap from said aperture and for opening said container.

8. A unitary container closure cap for a container aperture, and comprising in combination a circular aper- 15 ture closure shell consisting of a flexible top for closing said container aperture and having an integral depending circular side wall for sealing engagement and enclosure about the outer circumference of a container aperture wall, an elastic frame supported by and depending from the base of said top for normally frictionally engaging the inner circumference of a container aperture wall, and finger operable push rod means for stretching said elastic frame and releasing the normal frictional engagement thereof from a said aperture Wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

